Global Regulatory Notes (10)
Know the latest on STRs across the Globe. Canada; British Columbia; Chase; Pemberton; Halifax; Montreal; Whistler; Spain; Italy; South Korea. READ MORE.
Keep a pulse on global regulatory trends. Featuring critical updates and recent news on short-term rental policies around the world, we highlight key developments shaping the industry. 🌐
Canada
British Columbia
As British Columbia prepares for a busy summer travel season, the B.C. Real Estate Association (BCREA) is urging the province to revisit its new short-term rental laws, warning they’re causing unintended harm to tourism-dependent communities.
The current regulations — which restrict STRs to a host’s principal residence and one suite — are limiting lodging options in high-demand areas where hotel capacity is already stretched.
Chase, BC
Chase council has greenlit a temporary short-term rental permit at 319 Lakeshore Drive to support the recruitment and accommodation of medical professionals.
The applicant, Dr. Ben Robinson, intends to purchase the property and use it to house rotating doctors and nurses, citing his own experience as a medical resident staying in a similar setup. The TUP offers a quicker path than rezoning, and its approval is tied to Robinson’s pending purchase of the property.
Pemberton, BC
Pemberton council has hit pause on a proposed bylaw that would have limited short-term vacation rental (STVR) business licences to two-year terms following strong community pushback. The plan would have forced operators to rejoin a queue after two years, even if they were compliant and successful.
Council has advanced the bylaw to second reading but requested staff return with options to amend or remove the two-year cap, better manage inactive licences, review neighbourhood caps, and improve fairness without undermining business viability.
Halifax
Halifax is stepping up enforcement of its short-term rental bylaw with a new dedicated team, funded in part by a $300,000 federal grant aimed at freeing up long-term housing.
Since the bylaw took effect in September 2023, the city has seen over 1,100 registration requests, helping flag previously unknown non-compliant listings. However, enforcement has been sluggish due to limited staffing. The new team of seven — including compliance officers, planners, and inspectors — will focus exclusively on STR oversight.
Montreal
Montreal is enacting stricter short-term rental rules that ban principal residence listings for nine months of the year, only allowing rentals under 31 days from June 10 to September 10 with a city permit and provincial registration.
Ville de Montréal
The new bylaw, passed in March, is intended to close loopholes exploited by illegal operators and ease the burden on enforcement officers who previously had to verify claims about principal residency.
Whistler, Vancouver
Whistler officials have reaffirmed that even non-commercial home-swapping platforms like HomeExchange fall under the municipality’s strict zoning laws that prohibit short-term tourist use in residential areas.
A recent bylaw warning issued after a complaint has prompted renewed attention to the long-standing rule, which treats any stay under 30 days as a form of tourism use—even if no money changes hands. Mayor Jack Crompton emphasized that while enforcement is largely complaint-based, listings on all platforms are monitored and the rules remain unchanged: short-term stays are only permitted in zones designated for tourist accommodation.
Spain
Spain is moving to impose a sharp 21% VAT on short-term rentals lasting under 30 days—more than double the current hotel tax—as part of a sweeping effort to curb overtourism and alleviate the housing crisis.
The proposed tax would level the field between hotels and tourist apartments, which have exploded in popularity and diverted tens of thousands of units from the long-term market. The policy targets properties that currently pay no VAT and aims to deter speculative ownership, especially in tourist-saturated regions like the Balearic Islands.
Italy
Italian judges have annulled the national ban on remote check-ins for short-term rentals, reversing a policy that had led to the removal of keyboxes in cities like Florence and Rome.
The Interior Ministry had issued the ban citing safety concerns tied to guest anonymity, but the Lazio administrative court found that the directive imposed excessive obligations on hosts. The ruling is seen as a win for the short-term rental sector, with industry group AIGAB now pushing for formal government acceptance of remote check-in systems.
South Korea
South Korea is reintroducing a revamped short-term registration rental housing system starting July 4, 2025, marking the return of a program previously scrapped in 2020 over speculation concerns.
Under the revised system, non-apartment units such as multi-family and mixed-use dwellings can be registered for six-year rental terms, offering tax incentives like property and capital gains tax exemptions. The update comes with stricter controls to prevent misuse, including eligibility caps on property values, rental guarantee reforms to reduce inflated valuations, and new rules aimed at curbing restoration cost disputes between landlords and tenants.
🌐 Emerging Global Trends
Nations across the globe are tightening their grip on short-term rental markets, each responding to unique pressures on housing, tourism, and community stability. These emerging policies signal a broader trend toward accountability and regulatory consistency.
What this means:
🚑 Localized Flexibility and Targeted Enforcement Are Becoming Central to STR Policy: Communities across Canada are increasingly adopting context-specific short-term rental (STR) approaches to address local concerns while preserving essential services. In Chase, British Columbia, officials approved a temporary permit to house medical professionals, highlighting how STRs can be strategically used to support rural healthcare staffing. Meanwhile, Halifax is investing in enforcement by launching a dedicated seven-person STR oversight team, funded in part by a federal grant.
🏠 Housing Protection and Tourism Management Are Driving Stricter Regulations: A growing number of jurisdictions are tightening STR rules to curb housing displacement and limit the strain on local infrastructure. British Columbia's new principal-residence-only rule has drawn pushback from tourism-reliant towns, while Montreal has introduced seasonal restrictions—only allowing short-term rentals for three months per year. Internationally, Spain is proposing a steep 21% VAT on STRs to discourage speculative ownership and rebalance the tourist economy. These policy shifts reflect a broader movement to prioritize long-term housing availability and manage overtourism’s disruptive impacts on cities and neighborhoods.
🏫 Governments Are Reassessing STR Restrictions Following Legal and Industry Pushback: Not all restrictions are holding up under scrutiny. Italian courts recently struck down a nationwide ban on remote check-ins, arguing it placed undue burdens on hosts. Similarly, in Pemberton, BC, strong public resistance led the council to reconsider a bylaw that would have capped business licenses at two years for compliant operators. South Korea is reintroducing a revised STR housing system, carefully designed to avoid past issues like speculation while supporting longer rental terms with tax benefits.
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